Improvement in treadles for sewing-machines



duidt ttte5 Letters Patent No. 110,132, dated December'13, 1870.

JAMES W. W. GORDON, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRsAnL-i-:s Fon si-:wmG-MAcHiNEs.

The Schedule referred t in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To .all whom it may doneer-n Be it known that I, Dn. JAMES W. W. GORDON, of Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and improved Treadle for Sewing-Machines, Ste.; and I do hereby 'declare that' the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are side views of trea'dles,which` are provided with my improvements.

Figure'3 is a face view of the device shown iu iig. l, Similar letters ot' K reference indicate corresponding paits. v

`This invention has for its object to so construct the treadles of sewing-machines, lathes, and other machinery driven by muscular power, that the power of the muscles of the calf and foot may be increased withoutstmining-themuscles of the thigh and body.

As treadies areznow used, `but little power further than -that obtained from the weight of the leg and foot can be exerted without either leaning the body forward, which is exceedingly injurious to the muscles and other part-s of the abdomen, and to the spinal column, or resting the body against a back support, which -removes the head too i'ar from the machinery. to be observed.

The proper upright position of thebody cannot be retained when power is actually required, nor can motion be kept up forany'length of time even when calf and 'foot are Vthereby braced to -operate without loss of power. v v

For this purpose I can employ either a verticallyadjustable cushion, A, shown in figs. 1- and 3, which is suspended'from slotted pendants a, a, or from the sides ofthe machine B, of which the treadle C forms part, or'a strap, D,- as shown in iig. 2, the strap being with both ends secured to the treadle and laid`-over the knee; or a spring, cushioned or plain, mayj-be' used to press upon the knee.

A spring, E, may also be secured to the treadle to hold the knee against the strap or cushion. In this manner the lower part ofthe leg is locked to the foot, so that a greater leverage and more 1. owert'ul action upon the treadle can be obtained.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 4lhc cushion, strap, or spring, combined-with the,

treadle, for the purpose of drawing down the knee of -t-he operator, substantially as herein. shown and de- 

